You Can't Catch Me
by www.shut-up.com
Summary: Ever wonder what the bounty head is thinking just before he's caught by Spike? What possessed him to turn to crime? Not all criminals have what it takes and there's never a perfect crime. (rating for language)
1. Chapter One

My first Bebop fic. Enjoy. 

You Can't Catch Me

By www.shut-up.com

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my character. 

Chapter One

There were ISSP officers all over the place. From where I was hidden, I could almost count them all, and I wished that I didn't know how to count that high. I was far more than outnumbered. I was outmatched, outsmarted, and out of luck. The little plan my cohort came up with had backfired horribly—why the hell did I ever agree to rob a docking port?—but he had bailed, way before I even knew that the plan wasn't going to work. I wasn't smart enough to realize that half-assed plans usually got you into a whole lot of trouble. _If I ever get my hands on that ass, I swear I'll kill him._

The ISSP was looking for something, anything, to tip them off as to where the attempted robbers, i.e. me, went. A few were discussing something with, what appeared to be, their leader, though I couldn't hear a word of what was being said. It would have been helpful if I could, but all I could do was guess. They were probably talking about the beginning of a search. I couldn't have that. I would be found out in minutes if they decided that I was still on the premises. That did not leave me with a lot of options. Giving up wasn't one of them, although my logic screamed that I could never get out of the situation freely, maybe not even alive. _I swear to the GODS I will murder that son of a bitch!_

What to do? I racked my brain for a solution, no matter how idiotic they seemed. I needed something—anything—to get me out of the docking port with my freedom. I could never survive in jail. I was too young and handsome for jail. I did not have very many choices, however. I couldn't shoot my way out. That was just a death wish. I also couldn't run because my so-called partner had taken the ship. I scanned the area. From the looks of it, the officers were ready to start looking. They knew that I had nothing I could do. My eyes fell onto an ISSP cruiser. No one was around it or me. _You are suicidal. You are fucking suicidal! _I don't think suicidal was the word that could describe how I was feeling right then; yet, I needed a way out, and the cruiser provided me with one. _Another example of a half-assed plan. I'm surprised you've lived this long considering all the incredibly stupid things you do. _

Tucking my gun back into its holster, I lifted myself off the ground as quietly and as quickly as I could. I picked up a large piece of metal and lobed it over my head in the direction I was not going to be running in. When every head was turned towards the sound, I bolted towards the ship, still being quiet. I was in the cockpit about to turn on the ignition when they finally noticed. It was too late, in my book. Being careful not to show my face I took off, leaving the docking port in my dust as the officers tried to shoot me down in their own cruiser. 

I almost breathed a sigh of relief when a thought struck me. They had means of tracking all their cruisers. I would be taken in seconds. _Gods, you're not only suicidal, you're an idiot! Damn you!_ With a groan, I leaned onto the consol, urging the ship to go on faster and faster. I maybe could make it to Neptune before they got to me, as long as I kept up my speed. 

To my dismay, I heard several descriptions of me over the crackling transistors. And I thought they hadn't gotten a good look at my face. How could I have gotten myself into such a disaster? It was like my mother always said: _You are defined by the companions you choose. _Damn. That left me with a pretty bleak definition of myself.

Neptune was getting closer. So were the ISSP. They knew where I was heading and they had people waiting for me. I would have to crash the ship and flee amidst the confusion, hoping that I wasn't too injured by the collision to move. I wasn't a gambling man, but I was taking a chance, as I had been all day, it seemed. Hell, probably all my life, though it was just catching up to me now that I had no luck left. _Oh hell, why did it have to catch up to me _now_?_

The ship gave a lurch as we were caught in Neptune's gravitational pull. I could feel the air in the cockpit get dramatically cooler. I had read somewhere that Neptune's temperature reached hundreds of degrees below zero sometimes. All I was wearing was a tee shirt and jeans. _Someone up there must hate me._

As I got closer, I could make out the snow capped buildings and towers. I just had to pick a place to crash my burden, and I would be next to home free. Providing my plan worked, and so far, lunatic plans were not working as of yet. A smarter person would have taken this as a sign to give up. 

Taking a deep breath, I forced the ship to gather more speed. The ship was really pushing its limits now, but that didn't matter. I would be rid of it soon. I was headed straight for a large group of ISSP officers. This was not going to be fun. 

"Aw, Jet can we go now? It's freezing on this ball of shit," a fuzzy, green haired man whined into his communicator. Jet sighed before replying. 

"Ed said the bounty was on Neptune, so we are on Neptune. This is the biggest cash in to hit the scene in months, Spike. Now suck it up and catch the dumb ass so we can go and get something nice to eat." Spike shut off the communicator and lit up a cigarette. It provided some kind of warmth, but not much. He was bundled up as much as he could while still being able to move his arms, however, the planet's frigid temperatures stabbed through his protective covering like a knife. He hated being cold. He added Neptune on his list of planets that he would try to avoid. That brought his list up to two: Earth and Neptune. Two goddamned crappy planets. 

Flicking his cigarette into the snow, Spike stood up from the bench he was attempting to warm up on, and made his way towards Poseidon City, where the little computer hacker he lived with informed him the bounty was living. 

"He better be there, or I'm leaving with nothing. It's too damn cold to be chasing down bounty heads," Spike muttered. He shoved his gloved hands into his pockets as he slouched on in the snow. He could feel the water seeping through his boots and that only added to his list of complaints. 

A streaking blur in the gray sky caught his eyes and he looked up in time to see a ship about to smash into the planet. _Poor bastard must have lost control, _Spike thought with as must sympathy as he could muster while he watched the ship get closer and closer. He spotted a crowd of ISSP officers and onlookers, waiting for the ships imminent "landing." When it was a fair distance away, Spike could read the lettering on the side. His garnet eyes widened in surprise. The ISSP was about to lose a member, because there was no way someone could make it out of a high speed crash like that alive. Halting his steady pace, Spike craned his neck to watch, like the gathering of people less than a mile away from him. He did not have to wait long, for seconds after he stopped, the ground stopped the ship in a way brakes could not. The impact was severe, that much Spike could tell from where he stood. He couldn't see very much of the wreckage, but he could see a few people falling, whether they were hit by something or lost their footing, Spike couldn't tell. A bunch of people started running his way, some bleeding, all scared out of their minds. Spike bumped shoulders with a nervous looking young man with shaggy brown hair and blue eyes. He was clutching a badly broken arm. 

"Sorry, man," he mumbled to Spike as he continued to plow his way with the crowd. No, he wasn't with the crowd, he was going through it. Spike turned slightly to watch him go, but all he could see was a sea of heads. Spike wondered distantly what had happened—other than the crash because that wasn't all that had the guy so uppity—to make his rush like that. 

"Spike! Spike, what happened? Are you okay?" Jet's voice was muffled by the layers of clothing covering his pocket in which he had placed the communicator.  

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm coming back to the Bebop."

***

Okay, so do what you want now. Next chapter will be around soon. 

Shut up


	2. Chapter Two

Thanks to my reviewer. 

Chapter Two

The impact of the ship to the earth was incredible. If I hadn't braced myself, I would have been knocked out or killed. I anticipated the collision perfectly, though, and I was at the very back of the cruiser when it actually hit. I lost my footing at that moment, and fell, breaking my arm, but that was a small price to pay for actually surviving, something I doubted as the ship got closer to the planet. I kicked open the nearest door after I was sure the ship was done with moving and was met with a horrible scene. There were several bodies, mostly ISSP, lying around, some showing signs of life, others as far from life as you could get. I ignored it, however, and ran as fast as I could, joining up with a throng of people fleeing the crash site, sporting cuts and broken limbs of their own. I fit right in. I ran with more urgency than they did, however I was hoping anyone watching would chalk it up to blind panic.

In my rush, I collided into a tall, lanky man with a mop of green hair and questioning eyes. I redirected my gaze from his searching one, and muttered a brief apology. Quickening my pace, I tried to lose myself in the mass confusion. As I hurried on, I could still feel his eyes, studying me, analyzing me. _You're being paranoid. Just keep moving and stop worrying about some green haired loser. _I took my own advice and kept on, disregarding the pain and the creepy sensation of being watched.  

Spike stretched out across the worn yellow couch, still bundled up to his eyes because the distant memory of that piercing cold remained with him. He had spent another freezing day searching for his bounty head with no avail. He was starting to wonder if Ed had gotten her information wrong. He lit up a cigarette, hoping it wasn't his last, and inhaled deeply. If only he could stay right here, just like this…

"Spike-person is back!" a streak of pure energy bounced around from wall to wall, a yapping figure at its heels. Edward and Ein. Spike sighed as Ed's bouncing landed her on his stomach. "Did Spike-person have a good time in the coooold plaaaace?" Spike shoved Ed off of him. She landed upside down, grinning like a jack-o-lantern. 

"No, Ed. As a matter of fact I had a crappy time," Spike replied, finally pealing of his extra layers. Ed frowned, but only momentarily. A frown could not possibly fit on her face anyway. 

"Awww…poor, poor, cold, cold Spike, Spike!" She did a back flip onto her knees, giggling gleefully. "Jet-person, told Edward to tell Spike-person that there is nothing to eat." Spike raised his eyebrows in distant interest. 

"Oh? And where is Jet?" 

"Edward does not know." Spike rolled his eyes. _I suppose he told me that so I would go back out and look for that damn bounty while freezing my ass off. _

"Well, Ed, I don't know what to tell you, but I am not going back out there until I defrost." Spike sprawled out onto the couch, wondering if he had any more cigarettes left. If he didn't he might have to eat his words and actually brace the cold again. 

"Hm, is the lunkhead afraid of a little snow?" A silky, seductive voice questioned sarcastically. Spike opened one eye and stared up at a pair of green pools. He abruptly closed the eye again. There was no getting rest on this ship. 

"Why don't you go out there and see if you're still making smart ass comments after one minute on that godforsaken ice ball," Spike muttered darkly. Faye snorted, a very un-lady like gesture if you asked him, then sat down on the couch he was currently occupying. He would have moved, but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was bothering him. 

"I was already out there. It didn't seem so bad to me. I think you're being a baby," she said. Spike knew damn well that she was lying, but he didn't say anything. He heard the familiar sound of her lighting up a stick of nicotine. The smell wafted to his nose, making his desire for one of his own even stronger. _I really don't think I have anymore. Damn. I need to go get some. Or bum one off of Faye and never hear the end of it. _He opened his eye again and glanced at the violet haired vixen. She was examining a fingernail, paying no heed to him. _No, I'll brace the cold. _He sat up, causing Faye to fall backwards onto the seat. She gave him a dirty look as he began to pull on his freeze protection again. 

"Where are you going?" she demanded. 

"Out," he replied aloofly. She glared at him, looking as though she were searching for a scathing response to his one word reply, but he was gone before she found one. There was no way he could deal with Faye without a cigarette. 

I stared blankly into my drink, trying to ignore the searing pain in my arm. It was a very difficult task, for any time I moved a new wave of agony shot through my body like electricity. Nothing had been going my way ever since I crashed the stupid cruiser, hell, nothing had been going my way ever since I agreed to go through with that dumb-ass plan to rob the docking port. _Gods, that was a stupid plan. _

"Howdy, Amigos!" the overexcited voice of the television show host, chirped. "All 300,000 bounty hunters in the solar system. How y'all doin'?" I pointedly paid no attention to the show, silently wishing I had picked another bar—one that had more than just a tiny television—to forget my troubles in. Then again, my troubles weren't all that easy to forget, so no matter how nice the bar was, I might have complained about something. 

Had I been faster, and mostly smarter, I would have been able to get my arm treated without any problems. Had I found a hospital or clinic as soon as I left the mass of panicked onlookers, I would not have been on the verge of passing out at that moment. But I wasn't and I didn't, so not I was stuck. Every hospital and legitimate clinic on the planet knew my name and face by then, and would have held me instantly for arrest if I tried to get some sort of treatment. I was royally screwed. 

"We have one whopper of a bounty for you cowboys today," the annoying voice went on. 

"All you cowgirls out there better make sure not to fall for his good looks," a higher pitched voice added. "This varmint is dangerous." 

"He's got a heck of a bounty on his head: 700 million woolongs to be exact." The bar suddenly grew quiet at the mention of all that money. Every eye in the joint turned to the screen. I took a casual sip from my glass. The lukewarm liquid slid down my throat, only soothing me slightly. Alcohol always managed to somehow make me feel better, though and this was no exception. _Whoever catches the poor sucker with that bounty is going to be one happy hunter._

"Here he is; Drake James. Aged 21. Charged with attempted robbery, theft, and eight counts of murder, including six ISSP officers." My head snapped up as my face flashed across the screen. _My_ face!

"Holy shit," I gasped. My mouth fell open at the list of charges. _Murder? No, not just murder, EIGHT counts of it! I'm dead! I am fucking dead!_

Putting my coat on as calmly as I could—and carefully mind you—I placed a pair of sunglasses on my face and finished my drink. I paid the bartender and left, not without the feeling of eyes drilling holes into my back. 

I resisted the urge to run down the streets of Aquatown while looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't being followed by a swarm of bounty hunters with money on the brain. I tried to push all thoughts out of my mind, so I could concentrate on being calm, but every time I did, they came raging back. _You moron! You gods damn to hell moron! How could you think that crashing a space cruiser into a group of ISSP officers was a smart idea? You deserve to die for your stupidity!_

Why did I get myself involved in this? Why did I let myself be talked into such a half assed plan in the first place? 700 million woolongs. Gods. Everyone with a working ship, whether bounty hunter or otherwise, was going to be looking for me, and here I was; stuck on a crappy frozen hell hole dared to be called a planet, with no ship, hardly no money, and no means of surviving. I had no connections that could help me. I didn't know someone, who knew someone, who could help me. 

"I have become one of the most wanted men in the solar system and I have no clue how to stay alive."

***

Sorry, not the best chapter in the world. I'll make up for it soon. 

Shut up


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Spike sat at the bar, nonchalantly smoking his newly purchased cigarette and watching the fool sitting next to him nurse a glass of whisky. He was cradling his left arm. Spike didn't know if the guy realized he was doing this or not. The guy stared glumly into the drink, and Spike almost felt sorry for the poor sap. As soon as Spike walked into the bar, he recognized the brown haired man instantly as the one who had run into him the day of the crash. From the way the guy looked, he must not have taken care of himself properly since that day. _Suspicious_, Spike thought for a second before his thoughts were interrupted. 

The familiar western tune that always began another episode of _Big Shot_ started to play from the dinky TV in the corner. Spike looked up, hoping he would get an excuse to leave this godforsaken planet once and for all. He was thinking Mars or somewhere he could be _warm_. He wouldn't have been so intent on catching the bounty supposedly on Neptune if the reward wasn't so big. A cool 50 mil was waiting for him somewhere amongst the snow and ice. 

"We have one whopper of a bounty for you cowboys today," Paunch said, in his falsely excited voice. 

"All you cowgirls out there better make sure not to fall for his good looks," Judy added in her soprano tone. "This varmint is dangerous." Paunch ignored her, though, as he usually did unless the script called for him to actually acknowledge her presence. 

"He's got a heck of a bounty on his head: 700 million woolongs to be exact." Spike almost swallowed his cigarette. _7-700 million woolongs??_ That was more money that he had ever seen in his life. Now all eyes in the bar were intently watching the screen. All except the guy next to Spike, who was still brooding over his drink. 

"Here he is; Drake James. Age 21. Charged with attempted robbery, theft, and eight counts of murder, including six ISSP officers." A picture flashed on the screen and Spike's eyes grew wide in shock and amusement. His gaze darted briefly to his bar top companion. The guy's head snapped up and he was staring in disbelief at the picture. His mouth fell open for a second before he gathered himself, paid the bartender and left. Spike watched his newest bounty head walk out the door. A small sardonic smile played across his face. He found a worthwhile reason to stay on the snowball after all. 700 million woolongs worth. 

I couldn't help but be nervous. I tried my hardest not to show it, however. Showing it would get me caught faster, that much I knew. It was a kill or be killed world out there. Except that, I had already killed, there was nothing left for me to do but probably kill some more. I definitely didn't like that idea. Well, I was going to murder that son of a bitch that left me for the ISSP back on the docking port as soon as I found him. _I'll teach him to run and leave me hanging._

Bounty hunters were anywhere and could be anyone. The really good ones, I heard, disguised themselves to the very end, right before they slapped some cuffs on you and marched you up to the nearest ISSP station for their reward. It seemed to me that my bounty could not have been the biggest in history, but it was up there, and everyone wanted a piece of it. 700 million was a shit load of money and money had a tendency to speak louder than words and actions combined. I was way out numbered, and I didn't know how to even the odds. I wasn't used to this. I was as good as caught. The only thing I could do was give whoever attempted to catch me a damn good chase. 

Spike wandered down the streets of Aquatown, trying not to berate himself for letting the largest bounty he'd ever witness sit next to him, then walk away unscathed. _He was right there and I let him go! Damn, money is powerful._ Had Spike realized what was going on instead of drooling over the woolongs he would have been nice and warm at that moment, not freezing his ass off. _I was being cocky, that's what it was. Damn._

"Where the hell did this amateur go? He couldn't have gone far with a busted arm and no ship," Spike muttered angrily to himself. If only he had a lead. Someone who knew the guy, knew how he acted or who he would go to for help. Something. Ed hadn't found anything on the guy, which meant he was a first time offender. Drake James was either an incredibly smart man, or a damn lucky son of a bitch. Neither instance worked in Spike's favor. 

"Spike!" Jet's voice interrupted Spike's angry thoughts. "Spike, Ed's got something." Spike pulled out the communication device with semi-frozen fingers. He grumbled a few profanities to himself before answering. 

"What? It better be good." 

"That depends. What do you think of Pluto?"

"What?! It's even colder than here!" 

"According to Ed, James and his accomplice were last seen on Pluto before the docking port incident. Someone there may know information that could help you find him."

"Jet, the guy is on Neptune and he's not going anywhere. It's only a matter of searching." 

"Would you rather get a hint as to where on Neptune he may be or search the entire planet until you get frost bite?" Spike heaved a great sigh before replying. 

"One of us should at least keep looking while I'm gone." 

"I'll have Faye do it."

"Wonderful. We're going to be eating noodles for the rest of our lives."

****

Thanks to my reviews. Glad you guys like it. 

Shut up


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Sleeping in alleys did not appeal to me. In fact, as I watched an extremely furry rat scurry across my path, I almost considered turning myself in (Let me tell you, the thing was huge. Dog sized even). It was fleeting thought, of course, because I wouldn't live long enough to be disgusted by rodents if I was caught. I doubted that eight counts of murder would leave me with just a slap on the wrist. As stupid as I was feeling at that point, I was smart enough to know that the ISSP would think that the death sentence would be going easy on me. Turning myself in, no matter how glamorous a jail cell looked as opposed to an alley, was not an option. So, I tried to sleep, ignoring the tiny scuttling footsteps I heard every so often, and the creepy sensation that there were things crawling on me. I focused on the unbearable cold instead. I would have to find a better place to stay sooner or later, since nights on Neptune were far from tropical. If I didn't die of starvation, I would freeze to death. _Oh, Gods, I'm the jackass of the universe right now._

I was lucky the first and second days. The word about my tremendous bounty had not spread as quickly as I thought it would. Or no one had connected me as the guy in the picture. Whatever it was, I didn't care. The longer no one realized I was the one they wanted, the longer I lived. I had been fairly free to walk the streets during the day without much trouble. I stole food to keep me breathing and medication for the blinding pain in my arm. I ran out of both quickly and had to move to another area to steal more. However, I began to overhear talk about my bounty, so I had to stop roaming the streets in the daylight. 

Twice I had seen the green haired man strolling down the street nonchalantly, with his questioning eyes and dangerous grace. Something about that man made me uneasy, so every time I spotted him, I ducked behind a car or something of equal concealment. I didn't exactly know what a bounty hunter would look like, I supposed they could look like anyone, but I wasn't going to take any chances. And they way that this man kept showing up, once looking grumpy, the other time whistling, put me on my guard. He did not look like he was native to Neptune, most men on the planet grew facial hair because of the cold, and the fact that I had seen him on the day of the 'accident' heightened my alertness. 

As much as I wanted—no _needed_—a drink, I did not risk going into any bars. The shadiest of places could house the greediest of people. Plus, I had heard that a lot of bounty hunters work at night. It was easy to admit that I had nowhere to go, it was far more difficult to find a way to solve that problem. I didn't know where to look for the things I wanted. I mean, where exactly does one go to look for a shady doctor on Neptune of all places? Was it common knowledge that I somehow missed getting?

"Hey, you!" I froze in my position on top of a dumpster in fear. I was on my way to finding somewhere else to sleep, for the rats were becoming a bit too bold for my taste when the person shouted, scaring my already tired mind into exhaustion. _Oh crap, I'm dead!_ I slowly turned in the direction I had heard the voice. 

"Yeah?" I almost gulped, but I had to keep some shred of dignity. 

"It's illegal to loiter in this alley. Beat it," an angry looking old man demanded. I sighed, sliding off the dumpster. All the more motivation to find another hiding spot, I supposed.

As I passed the man, his bony hand shot out and grabbed my broken arm. I hollered in pain and instinctively punched him to make him let go. Perhaps I punched him a little too hard. He instantly fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. I stared down at him in disbelief, on the verge of laughing at my constant misfortune. I had just assaulted an old man, while illegally loitering in his alley as I ran from the law. It was so cosmically hysterical. _Run you dumbass!_ The thought squeezed itself between all the other senseless thoughts in my mind and I realized what the scene would look like to a passerby. I ran. Like a bat out of hell, I ran with no destination in mind. All I knew was it was only a matter of time before that man woke up, bringing police and bounty hunters to the area from miles. 

"Someone up there must hate me."

****

It seems I have gathered a bit of a following. Lucky me. Thank you to all my reviewers, you shall get proper acknowledgement when the time comes. Until then, keep reading. You know you want to. 

shut up


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"I'm gonna ask you one more time. Where the hell is James?" Spike held onto his gun casually, though forcefully resting it against the temple of a nervously sweating guy. The sweating guy happened to be the former accomplice of one valuable bounty head. He had searched for half a day for this man in the artic weather of Pluto. Spike wasn't about to make the situation easy for the man who had run at the sight of him, resulting in a twenty-minute chase through the streets of Pluto City. That hadn't helped Spike's mood one bit. It was bad enough Spike was on the hell ball people called a planet, but to have to chase someone through the snow in negative degree weather was not his idea of a good time. "I'm damn cold right now and I'll use any excuse to take out my anger on anyone. I'll shoot your ass right now without so much as a blink." The sweaty man wiped his brow with a shaking hand. His eyes darted to the gun pushed against his head. He took a deep breath, trying not meet Spike's fierce scarlet gaze. Spike glared at him, stressing to the man that he was not afraid to use the gun. 

"I swear, I don't know! I left him in the docking port that day and I haven't seen him since!" Spike's patience for this whole mission was wearing thin, and he was seriously considering throwing in the towel. Yet, whenever he though of giving up, a zero filled number popped into his head, and greed strengthened his will to go on. He was not about to let the biggest bounty he'd seen his three years of hunting fall into the hands of someone who was going to piss the money away. A man could not live on bell peppers and noodles alone. Drake James' accomplice had to be the most annoying man in the universe, though. Several times during the conversation Spike's finger twitched on the trigger, but Spike wasn't one to shoot someone without a valid reason. At least not anymore. Especially not a person who possibly knew where a small fortune was running around. And one who had his own bounty on his head. 

"You must know if he has any friends on Neptune. He has to be hiding with someone, the planet is but so big," Spike growled maliciously. 

"He has no friends. He's new at this. I was shocked when I heard what he did. I had to drag him by his hair to help me rob the port and he was the one who fucked that up." The man wiped his brow again and gulped. "I don't know much about him. He grew up on Mercury I think. You might want to try there." Spike's eyes narrowed in anger. _There is no way in hell I am going to Mercury. _

"You have been absolutely no help, do you realize that?" Spike pressed the gun harder against the man's temple. The man gasped and started to tremble. _How is it possible for me to be dealing with complete amateurs, but I still haven't found the fucking bounty head?_

"I'm—I'm sorry! It's all I know!" Spike dropped the gun away from the man's head. He exhaled as though he hadn't the whole time he was talking with Spike, looking like he was about to wet himself. With a smooth motion, Spike kicked the guy in the stomach and he collapsed. Spike cuffed him then, without much caution, dragged him to the closest police station. The guy's bounty was only three hundred woolongs. 

Spike stood outside the station and lit a cigarette, procrastinating about his trip back to Neptune. Heaving a great sigh, he glanced up at the smoky gray sky, running his hand through his hair. A snowflake landed in his eye.

"Someone up there must hate me."

*****

I have returning readers. Good. That's what I like to see. Thank you to all my reviewers. As I've said, a formal thank you will come later. Keep reading, you know you want to. 

shut up


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six      

I don't know how long I expected to go without getting caught. Two or three days maybe? I definitely didn't expect two weeks to go by without so much as a whisper from a hunter. Not that I was complaining or anything… well, I guess I was in a sense. I mean, how hard could it possibly be to catch a moron like me? Honestly, either bounty hunters were losing their touch or I was doing something right that I didn't know about. Both reasons worked for me.

            I also don't know what made me fear that green haired man so much. There was nothing impressive about him, except possibly the fact that he always seemed to be where I was. That might have been the fact that there was a limited amount of places a person could go on Neptune, however. But there was more about him to be feared. That lanky guy had an air of danger about him. I was constantly on my guard, watching for him, and I had done a good job, until I practically sat in his lap. 

            "Look man, if you have no money, you can't stay here. I ain't going to be serving you water all day," the vulgar looking bartender told me roughly. I tried not to look too helpless as I glared at him. 

            "It's not that I don't have money, it's just that water is all I have the stomach for right now," I replied, hoping I sounded more like a gruff street punk than a pathetic loser. I don't think I succeeded very well. Part of what I was saying was true, though. Water was all I could handle at the moment, for, after going so long without actual food, my stomach reacted violently anything with texture or flavor. The last thing I needed was to throw up all over the bar. 

            "Well, find it somewhere else. I ain't got room in here for loitering." I sighed and started gathering up my things when a hand slapped some bills onto the bar. 

            "Get the man a brandy. And get me a cowboy," a deadly smooth voice ordered. The barkeep made a slight face before moseying off to get the drinks. I looked at the person to whom the hand belonged and tried my best to act casual. It was the guy. The very guy I was avoiding. _Oh, shit._ He raised an eyebrow at my dumbfounded stare. 

            "Uh, thanks," I said to shake off my stupidity. Not a very brilliant comment to shake of stupidity, but I had no idea what this guy was going to do to me. I'd been careless. Going out during the day wasn't as safe as I thought it was. 

            "No problem." He sat down and lit up a cigarette. I was torn between running and sitting down with him. The result was me standing there like a fool.

            "There's no sense in running," he said in the midst of a puff of smoke. "I'm almost desperate enough to chase you." 

            "Wha—what do you mean?"

            "You are Drake James." A statement, of course. This guy didn't look like the type to ask questions. "I know all about you. Probably more than you supposed friend knows." Now my feet were poised to run. _My supposed friend is going to get a bullet in the brain if I ever see him again. _A sudden cold feeling washed over me, and it wasn't because of the weather. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. He took one last drag of the cigarette then put it out.

            "I can see that logic is not your strong point," he yawed and stretched as the drinks were placed down in front of us. _The guy can read my fucking thoughts!_ "All right then. I'll strike a deal with you. You can run after I finish my drink. I don't feel like dealing with snow sober." I wanted to run, I really did, but for some reason I was rooted in place, so I sat and let the brandy warm me up, praying that I wouldn't vomit. _Damn, damn, damn! What the fuck am I doing? This man is about to turn me in and I'm sitting down having a drink with him. That's it. It's official. I am the dumbest person in the universe. _

            "Do you always have drinks with your bounty heads?" I asked more calmly than I felt. 

            "Only the ones that are a pain in the ass to catch." 

            "Really." I swallowed my drink in one gulp and stood up. I couldn't stay there any longer; I had already stayed long enough. "I must be off. Apparently, I'm about to be chased." I made my way to the door, preparing myself to run for my life. 

            "See you in a few."

*****

Okay, I realize that my chapters are incredibly short, but I don't like giving too much away at one time. If this annoys you, too bad. Thanks to my generous reviewers. The next chapter will be around someday.

shut up


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

_Come out, come out wherever you are,_ Spike thought maliciously, as he casually walked down the streets of Poseidon City. He had followed James all the way over here without so much as breaking a sweat, and he knew he was close by the footsteps in the snow. The kid wasn't smart. Instead of running on back streets or on rooftops, he decided to go straight, on Main Street, without even attempting to cover his tracks. _How the hell did he last so long? It must be some kind of miracle that he didn't wander into a police station by accident. _Spike almost laughed at the image of a confused bounty head walking into a police station, mistaking it for refuge. 

            Spike followed the footsteps for several blocks before they turned into an alley. He smiled to himself, thinking about all the stuff he was going to buy with his reward money. _Real food, cigarettes, more food…_Spike was practically drooling when he realized that he was in an empty alley. 

            "Oh, shit!" he cried out, searching frantically. "He cannot be smart! Where the hell did he go?" Spike kicked over snow-covered boxes and trashcans, hoping that one would reveal a cowering Drake James. No such luck. _I did this to myself. I'm fucking stupid sometimes. _

            Spike was about to turn around when he heard the telltale cocking of a gun. This time he did laugh. 

            "It seems that the bounty hunter is in quite a situation," James said sarcastically. Spike kept his back to him. 

            "It would seem that way to you. To me, it seems as though I'm about to have a pretty full bank account." Spike chuckled again.

            "Having a gun to your head amuses you?"

            "Naw. It's the person holding the gun that's amusing. You may have had the guts to steal an ISSP ship and crash it, but you don't have the guts to shoot a man. I saw how you reacted when you heard how many people you killed."

            "Don't underestimate me. Even the tamest of animals responds violently when backed into a corner."

            "Yes, but all animals have to deal with survival of the fittest." Spike faced Drake. The bounty head was clutching the gun tightly, trying to look tough while fighting his growing fear. Spike might have felt sorry for him, had his bounty not been millions of woolongs. _The kid looks scared, holding the gun like an amateur. How has he lasted so long?_ "Give it up man. I don't want to have to hurt you. If you're dead, I can't claim the cash."

            "Well then, I guess you really do have a situation, because I don't plan on giving up without a fight," Drake replied with false bravado. Spike rolled his eyes in exasperation. _It's really too cold to be dealing with this fool._

            "Why doesn't anyone ever like to do things the easy way?" Spike muttered. "If I kill you, Jet's gonna murder me."

            "You seem to be forgetting who has the gun here."

            "Damn, kid, you really are new at this." In one lightning fast move, Spike managed to take the gun away from Drake and pull out his own. Drake didn't even have time to blink. When he realized what happened, though, he looked ready to wet himself. He slowly raised his arms over his head. 

            "Was that easy enough for you?" Drake remarked sardonically, still trying to act brave while facing the barrels of two guns, one of which being his own. 

            "Just about." Visions of food were again dancing around Spike's mind as he moved to handcuff his cash in. 

            "I don't know what possessed me to rob that damned docking port," Drake mumbled as Spike led him along. 

            "Stupidity." Spike supposed. Drake glared at Spike for this comment. 

            "Actually, I was sort of sick of being an upstanding citizen. Murderer wasn't what I intended, of course, it was just one bad thing leading to another. Like failure was following me."

            "Don't blame failure on your dumbass mistakes," Spike said as he led Drake out of the alley. 

            "Good point." They walked in silence, Spike thinking about being warm finally, and never being hungry again. These thoughts were slowly cheering Spike up as he held onto Drake as tightly as possible. What he hadn't anticipated was Drake getting clever and kicking him when he was distracted. Kicking him where most men do not want to be kicked. As a reflex, Spike whipped out his gun and fired a shot before he even thought about it. 

            "Shit, no!" he cried when he realized what he did and he watched Drake fall into the snow in a heap. "No, no, no! Don't be dead!" Spike ignored the pain between his legs and hurried over to his bounty head. All the snow around the guy was red, making Spike's heart sink. _Fuck no! Fuck you for running!_ Spike turned over Drake's body and discovered that he hit the guy straight in the neck. Spike closed his eyes and groaned. 700 million woolongs down the drain, all because they guy was stupid enough to test Spike's reflexes. 

            Spike stared down at the blood soaked body of his former bounty for a moment longer before he turned around, taking out a cigarette for comfort. As he walked back to his ship, he heard the distant sounds of panic from the city dwellers who had just realized that there was a dead man on their snow-covered sidewalk. _700 million—it's almost funny in a depressingly cosmic sort of way._ A derisive snort was all Spike could manage to let out, though. He was still in a mild form of shock.

            "Faye is never going to let me hear the end of this," Spike muttered as he hoped into the Swordfish II's cockpit. The ship took off when Spike finished his cigarette, so he lit another as he called the Bebop. Edward's perky face appeared on the screen.

            "Spike-person!" she cried. Ein barked in the background. "Did Spike-person catch the eeevil bounty man?" She made wavy motions with her hands. Spike sighed.

            "No, Ed. He got away." Ed frowned slightly, then quickly regained her trademark smile. 

            "Is Spike-person coming back to Bebop Bebop?" 

            "Yeah, Spike-person is coming back," Spike grumbled. "Find me another bounty before I get there, okay?" 

            "Hai!" Spike cut off the communication and piloted the Swordfish II silently for a while. Then he burst out in a fit of raucous laughter, that didn't subside until he had almost reached the Bebop. Wiping away tears of amusement, he heaved another sigh. 700 million woolongs, now lying dead on the streets of Poseidon City. Yeah, it was funny. It was about as funny as a kick in the balls. 

*****

Ah, so that was it. Sorry that I didn't give you any warning, but honestly I knew as much about how the story was going to go as all of you. I probably shouldn't admit that, but it's the truth. Anyway, here's the moment you've all been waiting for: reviewer recognition. Enjoy.

Ichimu: What a loyal reader you are. I greatly appreciate your encouragement as I went on my freaky Bebop fan fiction journey. You have been dragged into my little world, now. *Evil laughter ensues* I'm glad you liked the story and I hope (if I happen to publish anything else) you will continue to read and like my work. It takes a special person to get recognition on this site, what with the millions of stories out there. Heh, straight A's in English? I wish. Thanks again. 

pimpin satan: I don't know why your penname amuses me so much, but it does. Lol. Anyway, you're another one who stuck by YYCM to the end. I hope your fidelity paid off, in your opinion. I'm a strong advocate for originality, so I was very glad that the changing point of view concept worked out. Like I said, I'm new to writing Bebop fiction (though I have been a fan of the show for years and I have read my fair share of stories from other people) and I'm glad that this story turned out as well as it did. Hey, not everyone can say they've gotten over ten reviews (I have seen some with over three hundred, however. That's insane.) As I told Ichimu, I'm glad you liked the story. Thanks for your support. 

Kit: Well, I hope someone up there likes me. I haven't been struck by lightning yet so I must be doing something right. Thanks for reading the story. I'm happy you enjoyed it.

Trisiana: You only reviewed once, but I'll acknowledge you anyway. Thanks for reading. 

Sanima: All right, perfect grammar! Take that English teacher! 

lizangel22222: Score another for original point of view. Gasp! A plot! Lol. Gracias for the complements. I tried my best. 

DarkSnake: I hope no one steals my idea with the point of view thing. Or at least, I hope I didn't steal it from someone else. Hm. Glad you liked it.

Lady Razorsharp: Now, praise from you is just about getting praise from Mr. Watanabe himself. Well, maybe not that ultimate, but it's up there. I've seen you review the best Bebop stories out there (and write a damn good one, too) so I'm honored that you noticed my little niche in ff.net. Thanks for the review.  

And that's it. See you space cowboys.

www.shut-up.com


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